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The unsuspecting children wander dangerously close to the manhole (Image: CEN)

The terrified youngster plummets into the dark (Image: CEN)

The incident happened in the central Russian city of Nizhny Tagil, located in the Sverdlovsk Oblast region.

The little girl in a green coat arrived first, and can be seen beckoning to her younger brother and then together they start stamping around in the fresh snow.

Then they step onto the manhole cover, which unexpectedly turns sideways dropping the toddler inside and almost swallowing up the girl as well.

Seconds later a man alerted by her cries runs over.

Luckily his sister cried for help (Image: CEN)

He is joined by another but they are unable immediately to get inside the hole.

Another man then rushes over with a mobile phone allowing the first man to climb down to the injured child several metres below.

At this point, the camera filming switches to black and white as it starts to get dark, and in the hole the man rescuing the child eventually reaches up a hand to the people above to pull him to safety with the toddler in his arms.